Supercar Megabuild

Last updated
Supercar Megabuild
Genre Documentary
Motoring
Reality television
Starring Afzal Kahn
Ralph Hosier
Ranen Rudra
Steve Whitaker
Alex Prindiville
Shane Lynch
Dan Barruffo
Narrated by Dom Joly
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producerRick Murray
ProducerBen Smith
Production locations
Running time60 minutes
Production companyShine North TV
Original release
Network National Geographic Channel
ReleaseFebruary 17, 2016 (2016-02-17) 
present

Supercar Megabuild is a UK-based entertainment program aired on the National Geographic Channel. It follows the work of independent car designers Afzal Kahn (Season 1) and Alex Prindiville (Season 2) (former owner of Prindiville PLC) as they task two mechanics to design and build cars to meet their clients' specifications. In the first season Ralph Hosier and Ranen Rudra are the engineers; while in Season 2, Shane Lynch and Dan Baruffo perform those roles.

Contents

Plot

Season 1

Afzal Kahn hires two professional engineers to create challenging one-off and prototype cars in very short timescales. Ralph and Ranen are both free-thinking engineers, which results in unique solutions that Mr. Kahn does not always like to start with. Ralph and Ranen sometimes have to travel to other countries to learn something new. [1]

Season 2

Season 2 has Alex Prindiville, owner of Prindiville PLC, replacing Afzal Kahn. Prindiville employs professional racing driver & mechanic Shane Lynch and master builder Dan Baruffo to modify cars to meet his specifications.

Episodes

Season 1

Episode numberCar typeFirst airedDescription
01 Aston Martin Vantage 17 February 2016Ralph and Ranen are tasked to make a GT-inspired Aston Martin Vantage.
02 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow 24 February 2016Ralph and Ranen are tasked to make a luxury Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow into a drift car for Japspeed drifter Shane Lynch.
03 Range Rover Evoque 2 March 2016Ralph and Ranen are tasked to make a Dakar Rally version of the Range Rover Evoque.
04 Mercedes G-Wagen 9 March 2016Ralph and Ranen are tasked to build a safe and bulletproof car for a VIP client of Mr. Kahn out of a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen.
05 Jeep Wrangler 16 March 2016In an attempt to break to the US market, Mr. Kahn tasked Ralph and Ranen to convert a Jeep Wrangler into a pickup truck.
06 Nissan GT-R 23 March 2016Ralph and Ranen are given a challenge by Mr. Kahn to build a car that is faster than a Bugatti Veyron and with only a 1/10 the cost. They went to Japan to buy an R35 Nissan GT-R, to Mr. Kahn's disappointment both in the car (due to it being a Japanese car, in which he explicitly says that he only focuses on European cars), and the project itself, after the duo experiences tough challenges along the way.
07 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid 30 March 2016In order to impress the Chinese Delegates, and a reluctant Mr. Kahn, Ralph and Ranen are tasked to make an eco-friendly luxury sports saloon out of a Porsche Panamera S Hybrid.
08 Bentley Mulsanne 6 April 2016A great friend of Mr. Kahn wants to go hunting in his Bentley Mulsanne, so Ralph and Ranen are tasked to modify it to have hunting capability without sacrificing comfort and luxury.
09 Chevrolet Camaro 13 April 2016Ralph and Ranen are given a task to convert an American Muscle car into a European one. They are sent to the United States to choose a perfect Muscle car for the job, in which they picked the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS.
10 Audi A8 20 April 2016Ralph and Ranen are given a task to build an executive all-terrain Audi A8. They install caterpillar tracks onto it and test in an indoor snow centre, much to the client's delight.

Season 2

Episode
number
Car typeFirst airedDescription
01Le Mans Maserati25/5/17 Jodie Kidd challenges Prindiville to create a 200 mph Maserati Ghibli in homage to the Maserati Tipo 61 Le Mans racer. The project is passed onto Dan and Shane.
02DeLorean Reboot1/6/17Prindiville is asked to redesign the DeLorean for the 21st century. Dan and Shane are tasked with redesigning the car to make it futuristic, but still keep the essence of the original DeLorean.
03Sub-Zero Porsche8/6/17Prindiville has asked a journalist to do a publicity shoot. He orders Shane and Dan to modify a VW-Porsche 914-6 for an ice rally in only four weeks in Sweden. Dan and Shane pull out all the stops to pull it off.
04Monster Bentley GT15/6/17A client, Mark Chapman, wants a Bentley Continental GT that can tackled extreme terrain in luxury. Dan and Shane has to create a Mad Max-style vehicle from the ultra-luxury Grand Tourer car in just four weeks.
05Audi R8 Drifter22/6/17Shane and Dan pitches the idea of creating a drift car for the Gymkhana Grid. Alex Prindiville gives them an Audi R8 and they completely reengineer the AWD supercar into a RWD drifter in three weeks. They hope for an internet hit, but Prindiville is quite unimpressed with the final design.
06Jaguar Dragster29/6/17Prindiville takes up the job of creating an homage to the iconic Supermarine Spitfire that can also beat a modern Chevrolet Corvette C7 in a drag race, with the client specifically asking him to make one from a vintage European Jaguar because it will complement the British-made airplane very well. Dan and Shane came to Victor Toys in Tijuana, Mexico and, after having a hard time looking for a suitable Jaguar for the job, ended up with a beat-up banger, a 1976 XJ-S convertible. They have just three weeks before the Jag is showcased beside the Commemorative Air Force's Spitfire. Dan supervises the build, while Shane heads to Tucson Dragway in Arizona to hone his reaction time off the line at the dragstrip.
07McLaren P1 Superbike6/7/17A £2 million deal is a prospect for Prindiville, if he can create a superbike that matches the style of the McLaren P1 hypercar and beats it in a timed lap. Dan and Shane take a stock Ducati 1299 Panigale S and shed weight from the already light bike, as well as tuning it for better power-to-weight ratio. They then race it against the P1 in Rockingham Motor Speedway to see if it has what it takes to smash the multi-million Euro hypercar's lap time.
08Lamborghini Transporter13/7/17A US client who wants to conserve the welfare of his Lamborghini Huracan commissions Prindiville to create a car transporter/tow truck to transport his Lamborghini anywhere, including off-road. Dan and Shane go to the enthusiastic Victor Toys in the hopes of turning a battered old Ford F-250 Custom rollback tow truck into the blinded-up go-anywhere supercar transporter. They were going to use a Hummer H2 as a body when a maniacal Mr. Prindiville shows up unexpectedly and tells them to clean up the mess.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touring car racing</span> Motorsport road racing competition

Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition that uses race prepared touring cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford RS200</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford RS200 is a mid-engined, all-wheel-drive sports car that was produced by Ford Motorsport in Boreham, UK, from 1984 to 1986. The road-going RS200 was the basis for Ford's Group B rally car and was designed to comply with FIA homologation regulations, which required 200 parts kits to be produced and at least one road-legal car to be assembled. It was first displayed to the public at the Belfast Motor Show.

Ian Gordon Murray, is a South African-British designer of Formula One racing cars for Brabham and McLaren and the McLaren F1 high-performance road car. Founder and CEO of Gordon Murray Design and Gordon Murray Automotive he has subsequently designed and built a number of sports cars and a variety of other automotive vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexus LFA</span> Sports car

The Lexus LFA is a two-seat sports car manufactured by Lexus, the luxury car division of Toyota. It is the second model in the F marque line of performance vehicles from Lexus, following the IS F, and also the first standalone Lexus F model. Three concept versions were unveiled, each debuting at the North American International Auto Show with the LF-A designation as part of the LF Series concept line. After beginning development in the early 2000s, the first LF-A concept premiered in 2005, followed in 2007 by a second concept with a more completely furnished interior and exterior. The third version of the LF-A, featuring a roadster body style premiered in 2008. The production model, trademarked LFA, was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2009. According to Lexus, the "A" in production LFA name stands for the "Apex" of the LF line of cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Touring Car Championship</span> Auto racing championship in the United Kingdom

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed as the British Touring Car Championship for the 1987 season. The championship, currently running Next Generation Touring Car regulations, has been run to various national and international regulations over the years including FIA Group 2, FIA Group 5, FIA Group 1, FIA Group A, FIA Super Touring and FIA Super 2000. A lower-key Group N class for production cars ran from 2000 until 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane Lynch</span> Irish singer

Shane Eamon Mark Stephen Lynch is an Irish singer, but best known as a member of Boyzone. He has also taken part in auto racing, participated in reality shows such as Celebrity Big Brother in 2018 and appeared as a judge on The All Ireland Talent Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saleen S7</span> Sports car manufactured by Saleen

The Saleen S7 is an American hand-built, high-performance sports car designed and built by American automobile manufacturer Saleen Automotive Inc. Developed jointly by Steve Saleen for the initial concept, direction and engine, Hidden Creek Industries for resources and initial funding, Ray Mallock Ltd. (RML) for chassis, suspension and aerodynamics, and Phil Frank for the body and interior CAD design and development.

Andrew Rouse is a British racing driver, most notably in the British Saloon Car Championship. He won the BSCC in 1975, 1983, 1984 and 1985.

Triple Eight Race Engineering, branded as Red Bull Ampol Racing in Supercars, is an Australian motor racing team competing in the Supercars Championship. The team has been the only Brisbane-based V8 Supercar team since its formation, originally taking over and operating out of the former Briggs Motor Sport workshop in Bowen Hills during the 2003 season before moving to Banyo in 2009. The team has won the Supercars drivers' championship ten times, the teams' championship eleven times and the Bathurst 1000 nine times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane van Gisbergen</span> New Zealand racing driver (born 1989)

Shane Robert van Gisbergen is a New Zealand racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing as well as part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for a TBA team. He is known for his time racing in the Supercars Championship, last driving the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 car for Triple Eight Race Engineering. He is a three-time Supercars Champion, winning driver's titles in 2016, 2021, and 2022. With a total of 80 wins and 46 pole positions, van Gisbergen is 4th on the all-time wins list in the Supercars Championship. He has won the Bathurst 1000 three times, in 2020, 2022, and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVR Typhon</span> Motor vehicle

The TVR Typhon is a sports car produced by the British car manufacturer TVR in their factory in Blackpool between 2000 and 2006. It is the fastest production TVR ever built. Only three were ever built. All are currently in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Reynolds (racing driver)</span> Australian professional racing driver (born 1985)

David Reynolds is an Australian professional racing driver. He currently drives in the Repco Supercars Championship for Grove Racing, racing the No. 26 Ford Mustang. He won the 2017 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with co-driver Luke Youlden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Yas V8 400</span>

The 2010 Yas V8 400 was a motor race for the Australian sedan-based V8 Supercars. It was the first race of the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series. It was held on the weekend of February 18–20 on Yas Marina Circuit, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was the first time V8 Supercar visited the circuit and only the fourth time V8 Supercar had visited the Middle-East, having three times previously raced at the Bahrain International Circuit. The two Asian venues were linked together for the 2010 season, causing the cancellation of the 2009 Desert 400 at Bahrain, and the 2010 Desert 400 will take place the week following the Yas V8 400.

James Daniel Smallman is a stand-up comedian, radio presenter, professional wrestling promoter, blogger and voice-over artist. Smallman attended school in Hinckley, and went on to De Montfort University, graduating with a first-class Honours degree in English Literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginetta G50</span> Motor vehicle

The Ginetta G50 is a specialist GT4 class-developed racing car, designed by Ginetta Cars. A road version of the car was planned, but did not enter wide-scale production; instead, the smaller Ginetta G40 was launched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 International V8 Supercars Championship</span>

The 2013 International V8 Supercars Championship was a Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile-sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars that was based in Australia. It was the fifteenth running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series and the seventeenth series in which V8 Supercars contested the premier Australian touring car title. The championship was contested over thirty-six races, starting with the Clipsal 500 Adelaide on 2 March 2013, and finishing with the Sydney 500 on 8 December. The series' calendar also expanded, travelling to the United States for the first time for a race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Afzal Kahn is a British automotive designer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the Kahn group of companies: Kahn Design, the Chelsea Truck Company, Project Kahn and Flying Huntsman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kahn Design</span>

Kahn Design is a British-based company that specialises in the modification of motor vehicles. Founded by Afzal Kahn, the company has its headquarters in Bradford and showrooms in both Chelsea and Kensington in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brabham BT62</span> Motor vehicle

The Brabham BT62 is a mid-engine track-day car produced by Australian car manufacturer Brabham Automotive. It was introduced in 2018 with deliveries expected to start at the end of that year. A planned production of only 70 cars is intended, in honour of the company's 70 year heritage in racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Materazzi</span> Italian mechanical engineer (1939–2022)

Nicola Materazzi was an Italian mechanical engineer who developed several sports and racing cars, including the Ferrari 288 GTO, Ferrari F40, Bugatti EB110, and B Engineering Edonis. He was one of Italy's leading turbocharging specialists from the mid 1970s, a respected sports car and motorcycle engineer and is sometimes referred to as "Mr F40" or the "father of the F40".

References

  1. "Supercar Megabuild". National Geographic Channel - Videos, TV Shows & Photos - UK. Retrieved 2016-03-28.